This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.
Nearly all motor vehicles include a heater, which generally heats a passenger cabin of the vehicle and defogs the vehicle's windshield. A typical heater uses excess heat generated by the vehicle's internal combustion engine. Most of an engine's excess heat is absorbed by a circulating liquid coolant, which is typically a mixture of water and antifreeze. The heated coolant is carried from the engine through heater hoses to a heater core. Heated liquid coolant circulates through tubes in the heater core. A fan blowing across the tubes directs heat to the passenger cabin to heat the cabin. The heat can also be directed to the windshield and/or windows to defog them. The temperature of the coolant decreases after the heat is transferred to the heater core. The coolant is then circulated back to the engine to absorb excess heat again, which makes for a continuous system.
To conserve fuel, smaller vehicle engines, which generate less heat, are becoming more and more common. In the case of electric vehicles, the engine is often eliminated altogether. A heater and heating system that does not rely on the vehicle's engine would therefore be desirable. A heater with enhanced efficiency would also be desirable, such as a heater that can heat specific portions of the passenger cabin, passengers, and/or a particular object instead of indiscriminately heating the entire cabin.